Developers aren't identifying tenant that will occupy new building on Perkins site on MacArthur Road.

Developers will soon demolish what remains of the Perkins restaurant on MacArthur Road and replace it with a building that will house a shop of some kind.

On Monday, Whitehall Township commissioners voted to conditionally approve a new land development plan for 1450 MacArthur Road, where a fire destroyed the chain diner's roof March 30.

The developers have declined to disclose to township officials what the new retail establishment will be.

"At this point, there is a pending lease," said John Gross, who identified himself to commissioners as a representative of the developers. "We cannot announce who the tenant is yet."

Frank Clark, the township's engineer, said developers plan to raze the building and replace it on essentially the same footprint. He also said the building will be slightly smaller and host retail instead of a restaurant.

Fire Chief Robert L. Benner said the department concluded that the fire was accidental and caused by a malfunction in the restaurant's neon lights.

It took firefighters about 30 minutes to contain the blaze, which sent up a plume of black smoke that could be seen for miles. Patrons and restaurant employees escaped unharmed.

In an unrelated matter, township commissioners voted to give the mayor a 2.5 percent salary increase beginning in 2016. The bill, which was adopted by a 6-0 vote, raises the mayor's salary by $2,095 to $85,904.

The current mayor, Ed Hozza Jr., makes $83,809 and would have to win re-election to a third term this year to benefit from the raise. He has received a 1 percent raise in the past four years.

Assuming he runs for re-election, Hozza will be opposed by Commissioner Jerry Palagonia in the May Democratic primary. No one else has expressed an intention to run. Palagonia abstained from voting for the pay increase.